A new study finds that expanding the charter school sector in Pennsylvania creates a significant toll on traditional public school systems, which, based on an array of fixed costs, can't downsize at the same rate that students leave. WHYY Newsworks, Sept. 13, 2017Full story

Pennsylvania's House of Representatives returned to the Capitol on Monday for its first session in seven weeks, but a divided Republican majority argued over a new budget-balancing plan and provided no sign that a two-month budget stalemate will end anytime soon.Source: Associated Press, Sept. 11, 2017.

Charter schools in Pennsylvania are universally led by nonprofit entities, but some also do business with separate tax-exempt corporations created to serve their specific needs. Sometimes, that has raised questions. Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sept. 11, 2017.Click here for full article.

"Never forget" became a national rallying cry after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Yet America's schools — where collective memory is shaped — are now full of students who never knew because they weren't alive then. Many teachers now struggle with whether and how to teach the attacks and their aftermath.NPR.org, Sept. 11, 2017Full story

A new Rand Corporation study says a nationwide move to 8:30 a.m. school start times could contribute $83 billion to the U.S. economy within a decade. It would lower dropout rates, improve college attendance, and lessen the risk of mood disorders, like depression.Pocono Record, Sept. 9, 2017Full story

The state House plans to return to session for the first time in seven weeks as a lengthening budget stalemate is drawing warnings by Democratic Governor Tom Wolf that he's out of options to pay bills on time. Associated Press, Sept. 11, 2017Full story

Senators doused more cold water on U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos' vision of a big new investment in school choice, approving legislation that seeks to bar the administration from using federal funding for vouchers or public school choice. Education Week, Sept. 7, 2017 (Subscription may be required.)Full story

In 2016, teachers in Pennsylvania on average spent $427 of their own money for classroom supplies, decorations and basic items their students needed, according to Scholastic’s most recent Teacher & Principal School Report. Nationally, teachers on average spent $530, according to the report. And teachers in high-poverty areas spent an average of $672. LancasterOnline, Sept. 8, 2017Full story

The PA Principals Association is offering a new service to school districts. With an ever-increasing shortage of quality candidates for school leadership positions, the PA Principals Association will now provide a search process for school districts at a very reasonable cost. The Fast Track Process is designed for a school district who faces an immediate need for a principal or assistant principal and the Regular Search Process is for those districts who have some time to find a candidate for a position. Why use the PA Principals Association for the search? We will use our network of approximately 3,500 active members to solicit candidates for your position and we help in all aspects of the process from getting you candidates, scheduling interviews, checking references and assisting with questions, etc. The searches will be conducted by Dr. Paul Healey, Executive Director, and Dr. Joseph Clapper, Assistant Executive Director, of the PA Principals Association. To learn more about the search process, please contact Dr. Healey at 717-732-4999 or healey@paprincipals.org.

A new state law requires students in grade 12 to have a second vaccination against meningitis by the fifth day of school. For meningitis, students must receive their first immunization while entering seventh grade. Citizens Voice, Sept. 7, 2017Full story